xvi BIG GAME AND BIG GAME HUNTING 173 



The elephant and rhinoceros, being in a class by 

 themselves, require a rifle firing a much heavier 

 bullet. After experimenting with and using all 

 kinds of rifles, I find the most effective to be the 

 double '577 with a 750 grains bullet and a charge 

 in axite powder equivalent to a hundred grains of 



RHINOCEROS. 



cordite. The heavier double-barrelled '600 bore 

 rifle, with a bullet weighing 900 grains, lacks the 

 penetration of the "577, while its weight (16 Ibs. 

 against 13 Ibs. of the latter) renders it a much more 

 awkward weapon to handle. I think the superiority 

 of the '577 over the '450 and '500 rifles, will be 

 evident when I state that I have lost elephants 

 with these last two rifles, while I have bagged 



